Taylor Swift, Kim Kardashian built billion-dollar business empires

Taylor Swift and Kim Kardashian shined a spotlight on female celebrities in the business world in 2023.

Swift, 33, became a billionaire as she completed the first year of “The Eras Tour” and released two more re-recorded albums in order to own all of her music. Meanwhile, Kardashian was named one of GQ’s men of the year, despite being a female.

FOX Business takes a look at some business empires run by females:

TAYLOR SWIFT PASSES BILLIONAIRE STATUS IN MUSIC ERA INDUSTRY ERA OF ARTISTS LOSING MILLIONS

Taylor Swift, Kim Kardashian (  / Getty Images)

Taylor Swift

Swift’s net worth surpassed $1 billion in October, with the “Eras Tour” and her recently rerecorded albums pushing the pop star to a net worth of $1.1 billion, according to Bloomberg. In the last few years, Swift has re-released four of her first six albums for complete ownership, and also gave fans a new album.

Taylor Swift became a billionaire in 2023 as she embarked on her highest-grossing tour yet, “The Eras Tour.” (  / Getty Images)

The “1989” singer-songwriter is one of the few musicians to achieve billionaire status with just music releases and performances, the outlet reported.

“Taylor is in a unique position, in terms of monetizing her talent. In an era where artists have lost millions – as album sales gave way to digital downloads – she’s actually riding the tech wave, instead of going out with the digital tide,” branding expert Doug Eldridge told FOX Business.

Kim Kardashian

Kim Kardashian was named one of GQ’s men of the year for 2023 as she delved into men’s clothing with her SKIMS shapewear business. Kardashian isn’t a stranger to founding businesses – she first founded the boutique store Dash in 2006 alongside her sisters.

Kim Kardashian tapped Nick Bosa for an ad campaign as she launched SKIMS Mens. (Getty/SKIMS / Fox News)

Since then, she’s run a handful of successful businesses, including SKIMS and SKKN. At one point, Kardashian also had KKW Beauty and KKW Fragrance before both were shuttered in 2021 and 2022.

“The Kardashians” star didn’t stick to beauty and fashion only. She launched the app, “Kim Kardashian: Hollywood,” in 2014. Users could create their own celebrity persona and work to become famous in the Kardashian world. The following year, the business mogul launched “Kimoji,” which featured an emoji keyboard using Kardashian’s image. Both apps were shut down in 2018.

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Gwyneth Paltrow

While Gwyneth Paltrow gained success on the big screen, she’s also known for her health and wellness brand, Goop.

Goop began as a weekly newsletter offering lifestyle and wellness advice in 2008, but has evolved into something much bigger.

Gwyneth Paltrow launched Goop in 2008. (Stefanie Keenan/Getty Images for Daily Front Row / Getty Images)

The brand sells clothing, and makeup and skincare products, along with vitamins and other wellness options. Goop creates products, but also sells other brands.

Goop has come under scrutiny in the past and was once fined $145,000 in civil penalties for making unproven claims about products. The brand sold “jade eggs” for consumers to place inside the vagina, which Goop falsely claimed helped “balance hormones, regulate menstrual cycles, prevent uterine prolapse, and increase bladder control.”

Reese Witherspoon

Reese Witherspoon has cemented herself as a producer in Hollywood with the creation of Hello Sunshine in 2016. 

“Hello Sunshine was created around the idea that media was largely dominated by male voices and male perspectives, so to be able to create opportunities where women are telling their stories in their own words, you’re just getting a better perspective of the human experience,” Witherspoon told Harper’s Bazaar about the inspiration behind the production company. “I think about the limited experience of that expression that my mother had or my grandmother had from artists at that time, because women were so sublimated.” 

“It’s just a new time, a new era for women to succeed and excel, and I’m happy to be the rocket fuel they need.”

Reese Witherspoon is the founder of Hello Sunshine, a production company that focuses on the female perspective. (  / Getty Images)

In 2021, Hello Sunshine was sold to Candle Media for $900 million, according to the outlet.

Witherspoon continues to produce shows focused on the female perspective. Hello Sunshine is behind “The Morning Show,” “Little Fires Everywhere,” “Daisy Jones & The Six,” “Your Place or Mine” and “Gone Girl.”

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Kylie Jenner

Kylie Jenner capitalized on her reality TV fame by using her following to launch a handful of successful businesses. The most well known business venture for the youngest “The Kardashians” star is Kylie Cosmetics.

Jenner sold a 51% stake in Kylie Cosmetics to cosmetics brand Coty for $600 million in 2019, valuing the company at $1.2 billion, Forbes previously reported. This year, reports surfaced that the TV personality was looking to buy back the controlling stake in the company, a source familiar with the matter told Fortune.

Kylie Jenner launched Kylie Cosmetics in 2015. (David Dee Delgado / Getty Images)

On top of her existing brand, Jenner launched a clothing line this year – Khy. The businesswoman explained that the brand, which features fashion basics and staple pieces, has been “personal” to her.

“I want people to know how completely involved I am in this,” Jenner told Teen Vogue. “From original concept, to designing, or co-designing if we’re working with other designers, from picking fabrics, colors, I’ve been in every fit meeting. I am the creative director of the brand and marketing.”

Kylie Jenner launched a clothing brand in 2023. Khy features staple pieces for a capsule wardrobe. (  / Getty Images)

“There’s not an Instagram post or video that hasn’t been personally edited by me, there hasn’t been an Instagram post that I haven’t posted myself. I do the creative for all my shoots. I’ve worked really hard on it, I’ve put my love into it, and I can’t wait for people to experience the clothes. It’s very personal.”

Jennifer Lopez

Jennifer Lopez has showcased herself as more than an international pop star by creating the luxury skincare brand, JLo Beauty, as well as landing a shoe collaboration with DSW.

Lopez often wears her own designs, debuting a pair of silver heels at the 2021 Met gala that would later be available to purchase for viewers watching at home.

Jennifer Lopez wore her own shoe design for the 2021 Met Gala. The musician has a collaboration with DSW. (  / Getty Images)

“I believe business is an art just like anything else I do, and you have to create it every day. I see life as an art, and it’s within your power, just as in your business, to make it as small or as big as you want. Whatever that means to you,” Lopez told The Hollywood Reporter in 2021.

“Over the last several years, I have transitioned into becoming an owner, investor and, in the case of JLo Beauty, a founder. I want to align with brands that feel authentic to my values and that are inclusive, innovative and forward-thinking, with the goal of helping them have a greater impact on society.”

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Rihanna

Rihanna hit billionaire status in 2021. The “Work” singer, who has a catalog of hits dating back to the early 2000s, is worth $1.7 billion, Forbes reported at the time.

Rihanna owns the brands Fenty Beauty and Fenty Skin. (Tim P. Whitby / Getty Images)

However, Rihanna’s fortune didn’t all come from her career in music. The superstar’s company, Fenty Beauty, is to thank for the majority of her wealth. The makeup brand was launched in 2017.

The “Umbrella” singer later launched Fenty Skin in 2020.

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